One thing you can count on with the Detroit Lions is that they are never, ever boring. Follow the latest news including injuries, roster moves and more here daily from Oakland Press beat writer Paula Pasche. Plus you'll find regular commentary about the team.

10/04/2013

Detroit Lions: For Green Bay Packers' fans the moon is the limit

In Green Bay there are chapped cheeks and then there are chapped cheeks.

Fans love their beer, their bratwurst, their Packers.

They’re not embarrassed to wear those adorable cheesehead hats.

Many of them are also not embarrassed to moon the opponents’ bus upon arrival and departure to Lambeau Field.

Mooning — pulling down your drawers presenting your butt cheeks to the world — is a Lambeau tradition unlike any other.

“It’s awesome, I love playing there, it’s a great place to play,’’ said Lions center Dominic Raiola who has never won there since he was drafted in 2001

He doesn’t so much like the fans’ reception or farewell.

“Yeah I’ve been mooned, I go before the buses go,’’ Raiola said. “Maybe i should go moon somebody this week on the way there in the car we take early.’’

He was joking. I think.

“I have (been mooned) even leaving there,’’ Raiola said. “Usually you’re (ticked) off when you leave there because you don’t win. (It’s like) let me out of the (expletive) bus, you get mooned. It’s like get me the (expletive) out of this bus so i can go put my hands on somebody.’’

The Lions (3-1) play the Packers (1-2) on Sunday at Lambeau.

Shaun Hill has played at Green Bay 10 or 11 times. He was with the Vikings when Randy Moss scored a touchdown helping Minnesota win a playoff game in 2005 at Lambeau Field. Moss celebrated with a fake moon in the end zone that cost him $10,000.

“I have seen a fake one on the field and the real ones. That was the whole reason why he did it,’’ Hill said

The quarterback said he tries not to look.

“Yeah, it’s weird i keep my head down,’’ Hill said. “It’s more when you arrive and more middle fingers when you leave, but that’s most stadiums.’’

Raiola compares the atmosphere to a college town. Die-hard fans, multitudinous kegs of beer, tail-gating is an art form, fans pay to park on lawns.

Why not?

Green Bay fans have much to cheer about. Their Packers have won eight straight games at Lambeau and have only lost one of their last 22 at the historical stadium.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers says one of the differences in the Lions this year is “they have a better record than us.’’

Even though the Packers 1-2, they are 7-point favorites over the Lions who haven’t won in the state of Wisconsin since 1991.

Raiola isn’t buying that the Packers are a down team.

He also isn’t interested in talking about that ugly Lions’ streak.

He’s got so many bad memories from Lambeau it’s difficult to name just one loss that stands out.

“Last year, how we started that one,’’ Raiola said wistfully. The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead with a four-yard run by Matthew Stafford and a three-yard pass to Tony Scheffler. Then lost 27-20.

He recalled in 2010 when Shaun Hill started for the injured Stafford and the Lions lost 28-26.

Then in the 2011 season, the Packers scored a touchdown with 1:10 left for a 45-41 win on New Year’s Day.

“That was the most frustrating one. That didn’t sting as much because we were already in (the playoffs) and we had a good day offensively,’’ Raiola added.

No doubt the Lions can play well at Lambeau. They just haven’t been able to play well enough to win. They’ve lost their last three games at the hallowed field by a total of 13 points (7,4,2).

This is a different team this year.

When the Lions bus out of Lambeau Field on Sunday night will they be mooned or given the one-finger salute? Or both?

About Me

Paula Pasche, a veteran sports writer, covers the Lions for The Oakland Press. She has written a book, "100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die" which is available at bookstores and on Amazon.com. She won first place for column writing from the Society of Professional Journalists in Detroit (Class B) in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and was The Oakland Press 2010 Staffer of the Year.